Sunday, December 14, 2014

Broccoli Parmesan Meatball Recipe

This weekend I was thinking about what dish I could make that was hearty, yet also healthy. I decided to share with you all one of my all-time favorite new recipes--the Broccoli Parmesan "Meatballs." It is surprisingly SO simple, AND boyfriend approved (he is a meat eater).

SO, let's talk ingredients. I love how you probably have all of these already and don't even know it. You don't need to take a trip to the market--easy peasy.

First Step:
After you have chopped and steamed the broccoli, set aside to cool. Measure out 1/2 cup raw almonds. I use 2 of these on-the-go packets that you can get at Trader Joe's or anywhere really. Place almonds in a food processor (I use the amazing Nutri Bullet) and pulse until they are ground into a powder. Make sure you do not overdo OR under mix them. See picture below for what it should look like.

Left: This is what the almonds should look like, ground into powder but not overdone. You still want that crunch!

NEXT: Combine the 1/2 cup parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, 2 cloves minced garlic, and egg to a mixing bowl, and stir the ingredients together. In the meantime, put the broccoli into the food processor and mix it up! It should have the consistency of baby food or a little thicker. I actually kept it in for too long, but I'd rather have that than chunks of broccoli!

Combine and stir all the ingredients until thick

After all the ingredients are mixed together, this is when you start shaping them into "meatballs," about the size of a spoon. They are not going to stick together perfectly, so just form them so they can fit in a muffin pan.

Ingredients are now ready to be shaped!

Be sure to spray the pan ahead of time and preheat the over to 350 degrees--maybe a little hotter depending on your oven type.

The recipe makes 12 "meatballs," all a little bigger than a tablespoon.

Bake the "meatballs" in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Every time I've made these, the time has varied. I recommend setting a timer for 20 minutes, and then keep checking back after 5 minutes. Since these are made up of almonds and parmesan, they are not going to get super crispy or look well done. After about 25-30 minutes, take a fork and gently lift up one of them and see if the bottom is a light brown, and slice the ball to see if it's still "squishy" or not. I prefer mine cooked closer to 35 minutes because I like them crispier on the outside.

TA-DA!! Done :)

After removing them from the oven, I recommend putting them over pasta, spaghetti squash, or putting them in a sandwich!! I love drizzling them with sriracha and of course, marinara! Enjoy!!

*Are you going to try this recipe? Please comment below with your thoughts, and check out my Pinterest for more quick and delicious vegetarian recipes, at Pinterest.com/laurenmchugh14/